Browsing by Subject "Particle size distribution"
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Item Comparative analysis of lost circulation material particle size and degradation in drilling fluids(2015-05) Yang, Lin, M.S.E.; Oort, Eric van; Hale, Arthur H.Lost Circulation Materials (LCM) are used to plug natural and induced fractures to minimize drilling fluid loss to formations. Various LCMs are available in field application, such as calcium carbonate and graphite. Design of the particle size distribution is crucial to successfully mitigate loss circulation. It is common industry practice to rely on the particle size distribution as specified by the product data sheet when designing lost circulation pills. During mud circulation, there are several instances where LCMs are exposed to high shear rates, such as during fluid mixing at the hopper, going through mud pumps, and exiting through the bit nozzles. Using sensitive focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) techniques, reliable laser diffraction and sophisticated image analysis, we have found that size degradation of calcium carbonate and graphite under such shearing conditions occurs at a lower shearing rate - and to a much larger extent - than previously assumed. This, then, calls into question the effectiveness of calcium carbonate and graphite for LCM applications that rely on size maintenance for effective bridging purposes.. Based on the experimental results, the field personnel can take size degradation effects into account and compensates accordingly. Unexpectedly, particle measurements from sieve analysis, FBRM, laser diffraction and image analysis are quantitatively different. This can be attributed to the various definitions of particle diameters and the limitation of each techniques. Image analysis provides the most accurate particle sizing information but the reproducibility of the corresponding equipment is questionable. Laser diffraction is fast and reliable but will be affected by the sampling method and the degree of dispersion. FBRM requires no dilution to the sample, but provides chord length measurement which is very different from the equivalent spherical diameter (the prevailing diameter definition). In this study, we will show the size degradation results of calcium carbonate and graphite, and the detailed evaluation of the three commercial particle size analyzers used in the experiments.Item Effect of soil texture and calcium carbonate on laboratory-generated dust emissions from SW North America(2013-05) Mockford, Tom; Lee, Jeffrey; Perry, Gad; Zobeck, Ted M.; Bateman, MarkUnderstanding the controls of mineral dust emissions and their particle size distributions during wind-erosion events is critical as dust particles play a significant impact in shaping the earth’s climate. It has been suggested that emission rates and particle size distributions are independent of soil chemistry and soil texture. In this study, 37 samples of wind-erodible surface soils from the High Plains regions of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado were analyzed by the Lubbock Dust Generation, Analysis and Sampling System (LDGASS) and a Beckman-Coulter particle multisizer. The LDGASS created dust emissions in a controlled laboratory setting using a rotating arm, which allows particle collisions. The emitted dust was transferred to a chamber where particulate matter concentration was recorded using a DataRam and MiniVol filter and dust particle size distribution was recorded using a GRIMM particle analyzer. Particle size analysis was also determined from samples deposited on the Mini-Vol filters using a Beckman-Coulter particle multisizer. Soil textures of source samples ranged from sands and sandy loams to clays and silts. Results suggest that total dust emissions increased with increasing soil clay and silt content and decreased with increasing sand content. Particle size distribution analysis showed a similar relationship; soils with high silt content produced the widest range of dust particle sizes and the smallest dust particles. Sand grains produce the largest dust particles. The chemical control on dust emissions by calcium carbonate content is also discussed.Item Fabric Analysis of Survivor Clasts in the Southwest Deforming Zone of the San Andreas Fault at Three Kilometers Depth(2014-09-24) Loftin, AileenThe mechanisms responsible for aseismic creep along the central section of the San Andreas Fault are not well understood. Evidence for both pressure- and chemical-dependent microprocesses of creep have been reported. Here, the kinematics and deformation mechanisms of the Southwest Deforming Zone (SDZ) of the San Andreas Fault are investigated through fabric analysis of survivor clasts recovered from ~2.6 km depth by coring at the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). The size-frequency and shape-size distributions of survivor clasts from the SDZ were characterized through 3D analysis of X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT) images of SDZ core samples. A number of processing techniques were employed to calibrate, remove artifacts, filter and threshold the XCT images and distinguish survivor clasts so as to enable 3D rendering of clasts for size and shape analysis. The size of clasts fit a power-law probability distribution function with a negative exponent (scaling parameter) of 3 over the range of 0.45 mm to 60 mm in diameter. Using best-fit primitive ellipsoids and clast volume as reference, clast shapes are characterized as oblate spheroids, moderate (1.5-2.5) aspect ratio with high convexity and sphericity (>0.6); the shape distributions appear invariant with clast size. The size and shape characteristics, and the uniform spatial distribution of survivor clasts within the SDZ, suggest that the zone has attained a mature, quasi steady-state condition. The scaling parameter of 3 supports that the reduction in the size of clasts is a result of fracture consistent with a nearest neighbor fragmentation model for high strain, matrix-dominated shear zones. However, clast shape distributions support that surface wear, such as by abrasion or pressure solution, are the dominant clast shaping process.Item Fluoride, natural organic matter, and particles : the effect of ligand competition on the size distribution of aluminum precipitates in flocculation(2016-05) Herrboldt, Jonathan Philip; Lawler, Desmond F.; Katz, Lynn EllenFluoride occurs at elevated concentrations naturally in surface and ground waters around the world. If consumed at low concentrations in drinking water (< 1.5 mg/L), fluoride is shown to reduce the occurrence of dental caries and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named fluoridation of public water systems one of the 10 Great Public Health Achievements of the 20th Century (CDC, 1999). However, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of fluoride (> 2.0 mg/L) causes adverse health effects to teeth and bones. For this reason the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) enacted a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for fluoride at 4.0 mg/L. This rule is currently under review following a recent risk assessment and may be lowered. If the MCL were lowered, water systems previously meeting treatment standards would suddenly find themselves out of compliance and will need to implement additional treatment to meet the new standard. Defluoridation by alum coagulation is a proposed defluoridation method. However, the interaction between fluoride and natural organic matter (NOM) and their effects on the particle size distribution of aluminum precipitates is not well understood. Because the particle size distribution of aluminum precipitates is an important parameter in the efficiency of sedimentation and filtration systems, a thorough understanding of these interactions and their potential effect on sedimentation and filtration is needed to inform the implementation of defluoridation by alum coagulation. This work utilized a series of jar tests on synthetic surface water to determine the effect of fluoride and NOM on the particle size distribution of aluminum precipitates. It was found that fluoride caused the volume distribution of aluminum precipitates to shift toward smaller particle sizes. However, NOM caused the formation of a larger number of aluminum precipitates, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the total volume of precipitates. When both fluoride and NOM were in the system, a combination of the two effects was observed: the volume distribution shifted toward smaller particle sizes but the peak of the distribution shifted toward a greater volume, indicating both smaller particles were being formed and a greater overall volume of particles precipitated.Item Particle Size Distribution of Gypseous Samples(2010-01-16) Arnett, Morgan P.Particle size distribution (PSD) of gypseous soils is important in the soil science community. When gypsum constitutes a major portion of the soil, its removal prior to PSD analysis distorts the results and may lead to textures that do not relate to conditions in the field. In order to understand the true characterization of the soil and the gypsum particles, the entire soil sample should be analyzed. Four different approaches to the BaCl2 method presented in the literature (Hesse, 1976, Matar and Douleimy, 1978, Viellefon, 1979) were used to evaluate the use of BaCl2 solution to reduce the solubility of gypsum by forming a protective coating of BaSO4 around gypsum particles. Results showed that the BaCl2 method was unsatisfactory, as dispersion of clays was not sufficient to allow particle size analysis using the pipette method. A procedure using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer (LPSA) was also evaluated. As gypsum is insoluble in methanol, methanol was selected as a possible solution, but it caused flocculation of clays and could not be used to analyze samples containing silicate clays. Gypsum saturated water containing Na hexametaphosphate was evaluated as a solution. First, 20 non-gypseous samples were analyzed on a sand-free basis using saturated gypsum water with Na hexametaphosphate. Results were used to establish a relationship comparing LPSA results and pipette results. An equation y = 1.37x + 2.03 was established relating LPSA clay percent by volume (x) to the pipette clay percent by weight (y). The equation had a R2 value of 0.84 and was significant at the 1% level. From this equation a comparison of 21 gypseous samples was made, between clay percentages of the pipette method and the LPSA method. Results indicate that LPSA can be used to give a satisfactory particle size distribution of gypseous soils when coupled with sand analysis by sieving.